Features

Thanks so much for saving our homeschooling experience! We have been homeschooling our oldest from the beginning, but it seemed to get harder each year. We were using a popular workbook-based curriculum for 3 years and then switched, out of desperation, to a computer-based program. But all we got was cries of 'I hate school!!' I was at my wits end when a friend recommended Sonlight. We got Core D and slowly I noticed he wasn't upset at the mention of school time. By the time we finished the year, he was not complaining at all. A few years after we'd started Sonlight, he said, 'Mom, don't tell anyone, but I actually like school now. I kind of hate to have to stop for the weekends.' That was music to my ears. Here, middle son, Eli (5), gives a sprawling hug to his new Core A books. The D family is now in their fourth year of Sonlight.

"We are a military family that highly benefited from using Sonlight during my husband's last deployment to Afghanistan," writes Alisha L of Liberty, NC. "Responsibilities were great during this time: keep my house, homeschool my three children, and make time to stay connected to their daddy. The Instructor's Guide allowed me to continue homeschooling when family life during the deployment became tough. If it had not been for the guide, I would have spent so much time planning our school instead of cuddling up with them and reading. It is like my best friend to guide and even encourage me on a daily basis." Here, 6-year-old Lorelei reads with her dog. She's using Core D in her third year of Sonlight.

Our family enjoys learning about the many cultures and different ways of life around the world that Sonlight provides. The literature that accompanies each Core is wonderful and the selections are made with extreme care. The questions open up another world for the children to ponder and discuss as they work their way through the books. Our family enjoys the time we spend together making learning enjoyable and exciting. After reading Walk the Worlds Rim, we headed to Mesa Verde to explore the cliff dwellings and do some investigating of our own. In the family's fourth Sonlight year, Ronnie (9), Reegan (7) and Abigail (11) are studying Cores D and E.

WHAT ARE YOUR SONLIGHT STORIES?

Use #sonlightstories on social media to share your thoughts and photos. Or log
in to your account on sonlight.com to upload images and share testimonials.

Settle foreign lands, battle for freedom and form a revolutionary new government!

Relive American history from the early Native Americans through the 1850s.

Guide your children with confidence: you get daily plans and complete materials for the entire year.

Embrace the innovative spirit that characterized early American history.

Bond with your children as you spark their love of learning!

Sonlight D is the first year that the History, Geography, Read-Alouds, and Readers all coordinate. This takes your studies to a new depth. Paul Revere shows up in a history book, and then appears in the Read-Aloud Johnny Tremain. George Washington presides over the Constitutional Convention in History, and then in the Reader Phoebe the Spy. Your children will enjoy these wonderful connections between the people, places, and events in American History.

Years ago, my daughter closed a Sonlight D book, sighed, and said, "I've never read a book that I didn't love."

I think you'll find that a testimony to the quality of Sonlight books. May it be that your children develop a similar love of learning this year.

Overview of the History

The overarching goal for this program, and its companion, Sonlight E, is for children to understand the context and progression of American History. I want them to grasp why people came to a new land, how they persevered and settled the continent, and that every day they faced decisions about how to live in the New World.

We begin with history before the Pilgrims and end in the mid-1800s. The foundation of the History program is former Librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin's Landmark History of the American People. Boorstin specializes in the details: why Georgia struggled as a "charity colony" (and what does that even mean?); why the sea tied some colonies to England, yet opened others to the world; and why early settlers had to innovate. These are fascinating stories! This full-color text includes timelines, maps, and illustrations.

To supplement the stories of Boorstin, the schedule interweaves the Smithsonian's Children's Encyclopedia of American History, a book with short articles and copious illustrations.

Overview of the Literature

The D Read-Alouds are awesome! Of the dozen, more than half of them are Newbery Medalists and Honors: Secret of the Andes, about an Incan boy (it beat out Charlotte's Web for the Newbery that year!); The Witch of Blackbird Pond, a story of cultural differences, set in Puritan New England (and there isn't actually a witch in this story, though suspicious townsfolk wonder about a Quaker woman); Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, about a brilliant mathematician who made navigation more safe (such a great story!); Swift Rivers, a fascinating look at logging, from Minnesota on down the Mississippi River (you probably haven't ever considered this part of settling America, but it is fascinating!); Justin Morgan Had a Horse, the captivating true story of the runt horse who had the heart and drive to do far more than anyone could have predicted (you don't have to be a horse person to like this one); Johnny Tremain, set in Boston during the Revolutionary War (a perennial favorite); and Sign of the Beaver, in which a young settler, in danger of demise in the Maine wilderness, receives help from an unexpected source.

Sonlight customers routinely say that they would not have picked up these books of their own accord, but are incredibly grateful that they had the opportunity to read them.

And D Readers – what a great collection! As your children move from "learning to read" to "reading to learn," they have interesting and exciting books to enjoy. From Pocahontas and Squanto, to settler stories, to the Revolution, these early chapter books are engaging and include several additional Newberys.

Unique among the Sonlight programs, D offers the option to choose Regular or Advanced Readers. The Advanced program schedules the Regular Readers at a faster pace, and includes additional titles. Some customers choose the Advanced Reader package and use the extra titles for summer reads.

Estimated daily time for Intro to American History, Year 1 of 2 plus your other subjects:
Student: 3.5-4.5 hrs | Parent: 2-3 hrs

A fascinating introduction to American culture as it has shaped and been shaped by events from the Pilgrims to the mid-1800s. Written by the former Librarian of Congress. NEW full-color edition, completely revised for readability. Now includes timelines, maps and more than twice the illustrations. Oversized.

A highly readable account of the quintessentially American adventure of discovery and hardship as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led their men on an exploration of "the interior parts of North America."

A groundbreaking guide to American history, this reference book explains events, moments, trends, patterns and people in concise articles designed to appeal to children ages 8 and up. Features more than 750 photos and artworks, plus extensive maps, charts, a state-by-state review, the complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, and much more.

The thrilling story of America's first foreign missionary, Adoniram Judson. In the face of incredible obstacles, Adoniram and his first wife Ann were the spark that spread the fire of the Gospel into Burma. Their evident love for the Burmese people is a compelling story of unswerving dedication and sacrifice.

Watch your children's writing style expand as they learn about higher-level techniques like similes, metaphors and hyperbole. Dictation exercises based on famous quotations and Bible verses sharpen their ability to recognize and imitate good writing.

The Instructor's Handbook contains an introduction to the philosophy behind Spelling You See and the five development stages of spelling. The Handbook also contains a "Getting Started" guide with an overview of the organization of the 36 lessons and information about the important skills and concepts that will be learned in this level as well as information about the three core activities. At the back of the Handbook there is more information about guided reading, chunking, copywork, dictation, answers to frequently asked questions, and a collection of helpful resources including passages for dictation.

The Student Pack includes two student workbooks and a pack of erasable colored pencils. Each of the 36 lessons is divided into five parts, A through E, and includes two facing pages. Each day the instructor reads the passage together with the student. Students will also "chunk" the appropriate letter patterns indicated for that day's lesson and have opportunities for copywork and writing from dictation throughout the week.

Recommended Resource for levels A-D. Before you start homeschooling, you must read this! One bound volume jam-packed with practical advice and down-to-earth help give you all you need to start teaching your young children reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Features

Thanks so much for saving our homeschooling experience! We have been homeschooling our oldest from the beginning, but it seemed to get harder each year. We were using a popular workbook-based curriculum for 3 years and then switched, out of desperation, to a computer-based program. But all we got was cries of 'I hate school!!' I was at my wits end when a friend recommended Sonlight. We got Core D and slowly I noticed he wasn't upset at the mention of school time. By the time we finished the year, he was not complaining at all. A few years after we'd started Sonlight, he said, 'Mom, don't tell anyone, but I actually like school now. I kind of hate to have to stop for the weekends.' That was music to my ears. Here, middle son, Eli (5), gives a sprawling hug to his new Core A books. The D family is now in their fourth year of Sonlight.

"We are a military family that highly benefited from using Sonlight during my husband's last deployment to Afghanistan," writes Alisha L of Liberty, NC. "Responsibilities were great during this time: keep my house, homeschool my three children, and make time to stay connected to their daddy. The Instructor's Guide allowed me to continue homeschooling when family life during the deployment became tough. If it had not been for the guide, I would have spent so much time planning our school instead of cuddling up with them and reading. It is like my best friend to guide and even encourage me on a daily basis." Here, 6-year-old Lorelei reads with her dog. She's using Core D in her third year of Sonlight.

Our family enjoys learning about the many cultures and different ways of life around the world that Sonlight provides. The literature that accompanies each Core is wonderful and the selections are made with extreme care. The questions open up another world for the children to ponder and discuss as they work their way through the books. Our family enjoys the time we spend together making learning enjoyable and exciting. After reading Walk the Worlds Rim, we headed to Mesa Verde to explore the cliff dwellings and do some investigating of our own. In the family's fourth Sonlight year, Ronnie (9), Reegan (7) and Abigail (11) are studying Cores D and E.

WHAT ARE YOUR SONLIGHT STORIES?

Use #sonlightstories on social media to share your thoughts and photos. Or log
in to your account on sonlight.com to upload images and share testimonials.